Kibbi Press Kit | Media Resources, Founder Bios & Coverage

Kibbi is a Canadian-built, women-owned, immigrant-founded hiring platform connecting the institutions already credentialing talent — professional associations, universities, colleges, and settlement agencies — into one trusted ecosystem. Founded in 2021 by Hong Phuc (HP) Nguyen, Kibbi has raised $1.1M CAD, partners with 30+ universities and colleges across Canada, and serves more than 48,000 job seekers and 1,600 employers. The company is headquartered in Calgary and was named to Avenue Calgary's 2025 Innovators of the Year. Learn more at mykibbi.ca.

Hong Phuc (HP) Nguyen

Founder & CEO

Vietnamese-born, Hong Kong–educated, Calgary-built. HP fled Hong Kong in 2019 and landed in Canada in 2020 with $30,000 in savings and credentials no employer could see past her accent. She founded Kibbi in 2021 to fix the hiring problem she lived through. Holds an MBA from the University of Hong Kong (the first and still the only Vietnamese candidate in the program).

Linkedin - hp@mykibbi.com

Han Tran, MPA

Head of Partnerships

Han arrived in Canada as a child refugee with her family. Growing up, she saw firsthand the agencies that helped them rebuild and went on to spend her career helping newcomers settle and succeed. When she met HP, she brought a settlement and employment lens to emerging workforce technology. Over time, the missing piece became clear: the institutions preparing and credentialing talent were already the infrastructure. Kibbi simply needed to connect them.

Linkedin - han@mykibbi.com

We almost called it Jobs Mama. We're glad we didn't. 😅

Kibbi was inspired by the word "kibbutz" — a concept of communal living, shared work, and gender equity. We needed a name that meant community, because that's the whole bet: employers, schools, settlement agencies, and neighbours showing up for each other.

Our mascot Peeky is an Arctic Tern — the bird with the longest migration on Earth, flying the equivalent of six round trips to the moon in a single lifetime. Our logo shows Peeky flying toward the sun: a nod to our immigrant founders, our mission to empower job seekers, and a shared hope for a brighter future.

On a side note, Peeky loves being dressed in partners' uniforms!

🏆 IMMIGRANT OF DISTINCTION AWARD FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION 2023

Formidable Women Across Alberta

By Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC)

Avenue Calgary	Innovators of the Year 2025: Hong Phuc Nguyen Is Bridging the Gap Between Newcomer Job-Seekers and Hiring Companies May 2025
Avenue Calgary	Innovator of the Week: Hong Phuc (HP) Nguyen, Founder of Kibbi Technologies Inc. 2024
BetaKit	Kibbi, a job-finding app for newcomers created by a newcomer, raises $1.1 million CADJune 2023
Startup Canada	Empowering Newcomers to Find Meaningful Work with Hong Phuc Nguyen2023
Calgary Tech Journal	Kibbi wants to redefine the job search experience for newcomers2023
Platform Calgary	Incubator Feature: Hong Phuc (HP) Nguyen2023
Newswire	guard.me, Devant and Kibbi Partner to Improve Career Outcomes for International StudentsJune 2024
Calgary Economic Dev	Inside Calgary's Tech Ecosystem: Hong Phuc, Kibbi (Live Tech, Love Life)2023
The Recruitment Flex	"The Big Stay" — Kibbi's $1.1M raise & recruitment industry insights2023 · podcast
Canada's Restaurant Guy	Kibbi & local restaurant hiring with Jay Ashtonpodcast

Thank you for visiting!

About Kibbi

Available for interviews.

Hong Phuc (HP) Nguyen

Han Tran, MPA

Where Kibbi has been featured.

HONOURS TO DATE

Avenue Calgary — 2025 Innovators of the Year

2023 Immigrants of Distinction Awards

The meaning behind our logo & mascot

Logos, colours & downloads.

Logos

Mascot

Story ideas & interview requests

General media inquiries

Founder Direct

Recognition & Awards